Hydraulic classifier.



L. L. BEEKEN.

I HYDRAULIG OLASSIFIER. APPLICATION FILED APB.6,1912.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LEWIS L. BEEKEN, QF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC CLASSIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Application filed April 5, 1912. Serial No. 688,703.

,tiers and has for its primary object to provide an iml'iroved construction. combination and arrangement. of parts in devices of this character whereby a rapid accurate class-itication can besecured with a minimum ex penditure of power.

Toward the attainment of these ends my invention contemplates the provision of improved means t'or feeding the material to a classifier, embodying a sorting column surmounted by a riser column of relatively large diameter, said columns being in cou'ununi- *ation with each other bymeans of a hopper.

having its upper 'and lower ends merged with said colunns respectively. (Qilassitiers of this form have been rendered \"lt'ry inetli cient by reason of deposits which become I banked on the sloping wall of the hopper,

such accumulations being caused at periodic intervals to slide down into the sorting column. sometimes seriously clogging the discharge oritices and always greatly disturbing the working conditions of the classifier. According to the present invention, thcsc objections are overcome by arranging the apparatus which feeds the uiaterial to the classifier so that it will discharge within this trouble generating zone. and in rcvolving the feed pipes as the. feeding progresses. lly means" o'l' this construction water and the composite material are introduccd in a manner which prevents the accumulation of the objectionable deposits while at the same time compensating in large measure the loss in velocity due to the larger diameter of the riser chau'lber.

Another object of my present invention is to provide improved discharge oritices tor the sorting column and improved means for relieving the same when clogged.

Other and Further objects will appear in the specification and be pointed out. in the appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings exemplifying my invention, and in which Figure l. is a vertical section through a classifier provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. It is a section on the line III-III, Fig. 1. Fig. 4' is a section on the line IV-IV, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower end of the sorting column.

Referring more nirticularly to the drawings and to the embodiment shown therein, the ct'nnposite material together with the water conveying the same is introduced through an intake 1 into ahopper 2, said intake being suitably dis )OSEtl to discharge the material against the blades 3 of a rotor head carried by a standard 4 which is rigidly mounted by means of a spider 5 in the upper end of an inlet column 6, which extends dowmvardly through a riser column 7 to be hereinafter referred to. ()n the' lowcr end of the rotary inlet column 6 is'mounted a hollow cap 7 from which project a plurality ot' radially disposed pipes 8 which discharge downwardly and rearwardly against the inclined walls of a hopper 9 which connects the riser column 7 with a sorting column 10, the upper and lower ends of said hopper 9 being merged into the riser and sorting columns respectively and constituting an inclined table at the top of the sorting column. A cross bar 11 upon which is centrally mounted a step bearing 12 serves to support the inlet column 6. the cap 7 being provided with a plug 13 which carries a pivot 14. The lower end of the sorting column 10 is provided with a plug 15 which can be removed whenever occasion demands! A service pipe 16 for water discharges into an annular chamber 17 extendin around the outer wall of the column 10 and communicating with the interior of Said column through orifices 18. Adjacent to the lower end of the column 10 are provided a plurality of discharge outlets 19 through which the larger ingredients of the mixture are discharged. Said outlets are enlarged upwardly and are partly closed by a mug closure 20 which is""threaded to the outer wall of the column .0 to adapt it to be adjusted to form the outlets 19 of any desired size. The primary purpose of this closure,

however. is to provide simple and eflicient means for dislodging any material which nected at theirouter ends to the flange 21.

andat their inner ends with a collar '24. within which the inlet column 6 is journaled. Standards 25 project upwardly from the bars 23 and support the inlet hopper 2.

The operation of my improved classifier will now be readily understood and briefly stated is as follows: Water being admitted through service pipe 16 into the annular chamber l7 is discharged under a substantially constant head into the sortingcolumn 10 in which the descending mixture is segregated into its constituent parts of different size and weight under the action of gravity. Thus the heavier particles after sinking through. the column '10. are i discharged through the orifices. 19. ,The lighter portions are" conveyed upwardly through the column 10-and hopper 9 into the riser column 7, being eventually discharged into the launder at the top. The feedv mixture discharged against'the vanes 3,'in the manner alrea-dyreferred to imparts rapid rotary movement to the column 6, the reaction due to the discharge through pipes 8, serving to strengthen this action. The material thrown from the pipes 8 on to the wall 9, thor oughly agitates the fluid'mixture in the hopp'er and positively prevents the deposits accumulating on the inclined Wall 9 of: the hopper. Inasmuch as the material introduced at this point aids very materially in filling the enlarged space within the riser 7 the loss of velocity in the ascending cur-- rent is largely compensated for. As a result, the classification of the ingredients wilhbe continuous and uninterrupted for the reason that the usual zone within which certain portions of the material become suspended is done away with.

" WhatIclaim is:

1. A classifier of the character described, I

comprising a sorting column, a riser column of relatively large diameter surmounting the samefsaid columns being joined by an inclined wall, and an inlet column discharging on to said inclined wall, said inlet 'eolumn being rotatable on its axis.

2. A classifier of the. character described, comprising a sorting column of relatively small diameter, a riser column of relatively large diameter surmounting the same, said columns being joined by an'inclined wall and a rotatable inlet column provided with outwardly projecting pipes discharging on to said inclined wall.

3. In. a; classifier of the character described, a sorting column, a hopper atthe upper end thereof, a riser column extending above said hopper,an inletcolumn rotatable about-.theaxis of said riser column, and discharge pipes extending radially from the lower end of said inlet column, said pipes being deflected downwardly and rearwardly toward the inclined walls of said hopper to prevent deposits thereon.

4:. In a classifier of the character described,

a sorting column provided with a hopper at its upper end and an inlet column rotatable about the arms of said sorting'column andprovided with radially extending pipes at the lowerend thereof, said ipes bein arranged to discharge against t e walls 0 said hopper.

5. In. a classifier of the character described, a sorting column, a hopper surmounting the same, and umn discharging against the walls of said hopper. I

6. In a classifier of the character described, a sorting column provided with a hopper at its upper end with upwardly flared walls, an inlet column rotatably mounted above said sorting column, and discharge pipes projectin'gradially from the lower end of said inlet hopper and discharging against the inclined walls of said hopper. 7 In a classifier of the character described, a sorting column, provided with up Wardly enlarged discharge orifices for heavy material, means for supplying water to said column and discharging thereinto above said discharge orifices, and an annulus threaded to the outer wall of said column, said annulus being thus adapted to be raised and lowered relatively to said discharge orifices to vary the sizes thereof.

' LEWIS L. BEEKEN.

Witnesses:

I WM. 0. CHANoELLoR, S. S. MARSHALL, Jr.

a rotatable inlet collbs 

